I. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the fields of medicine and oncology genetics. More particularly, it relates to the combined use of MEK inhibition and cardiac glycosides to treat melanoma, particularly metastatic melanoma.
II. Related Art
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel, oral cavity and the eye. Melanin also protects the deeper layers of the skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. When people spend time in the sunlight, the melanocytes make more melanin and cause the skin to tan. This also happens when skin is exposed to other forms of ultraviolet light (such as in a tanning booth). If the skin receives too much ultraviolet light, the melanocytes suffer genetic damage and can be transformed into cancerous melanoma cells.
Because of the link to cumulative sun exposure, the chance of getting melanoma increases with age, but many young people also get melanoma. In fact, melanoma is one of the most common cancers in young adults. Each year in the U.S., more than 50,000 people—young and old—learn that they have melanoma. And, according to a WHO report, about 48,000 melanoma related deaths occur worldwide each year. The treatment includes surgical removal of the tumor, and if melanoma is found early while relatively small and thin, complete removal gives a high cure rate. The chance of the melanoma coming back or spreading depends on how deeply it has invaded into the layers of the skin. Thus, the more progressed the lesion, the great the chancer for recurrence and/or metastasis. For melanomas that recur or spread, treatments include chemo—plus immunotherapy or radiation therapy, but the prognosis for such patients, including those exhibiting metastatic disease (AJCC Stage III and IV) is poor, with 5-year survival rates being less than 10%. As such, improved treatments for melanoma, particularly for advanced metastatic disease, are urgently needed.